Soldering foils are used, for example, to cohesively join components, as is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,837. In this case, the soldering foil, which consists of a soldering material whose melting point is significantly below the melting point of the components to be joined to one another, is melted and joins a non-melting insert part which is fitted into a recess in another component.
It is also known to fill cracks or openings with solder powder, with the solder powder being piled up above the crack or opening and being melted by the supply of heat so that it runs into the crack or opening, as is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,450. In particular if large recesses are to be filled, the shrinkage involved in solidification often gives rise to cracks during cooling of the solder. The solder may undesirably penetrate into the interior of hollow bodies (e.g. a hollow turbine blade or vane) which are provided with a hole which is to be closed up.
It is also known to use soldering foils to coat materials, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,299.
In particular in the case of castings, such as for example turbine blades or vanes (cast, directionally solidified, single-crystalline), for manufacturing reasons there are in many cases blind bores or through-holes which need to be closed up since, for example, cooling air would otherwise escape in an undesired way from the interior of the turbine blade or vane through these holes, which reduces the efficiency of the turbine.